Stopped Taking HCG - Feel Terrible

Don’t do that. You’re taking 2,800iu and throwing out 2,200 every month. No wonder it’s so expensive. A 10,000iu vial should last you 14 weeks. It’s fine in the fridge for that long. The guidelines for disposal are for hospitals, not normal people. Hell, your test should be thrown out like 30 days after you first use it if you follow hospital guidelines. But nobody does that because it’s wildly unnecessary.

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Well actually, I need to call the pharmacy because maybe you did. I found another brand name called Pregnyl, and it shows your pricing. If I search my brand, Novarel, it’s those insane prices.

I want them to tell me the difference because maybe all I need is a brand change.

In terms of the potency, I agree on that part over the age. I can tell the difference between a shot 5 weeks after a vial was mixed, and taking the first shot of a new bottle. It’s very noticeable for me, especially sexually. It definitely does lose its potency but I promise anyone taking this shit, I have taken it 6 weeks after opening and while it wasn’t as effective, the difference between how I feel right this minute, and after that shot is like 90-95% better. There was a month they couldn’t get it to me on time and I never crashed like this.

Yup you beat me to it. Going to call them!

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So I just called them and yes, the issue is the “brand name” they keep selling me. They said they can get the one you showed me “Pregnyl”. All I have to do is call my doctor, ask them to send a new script in that says “Pregnyl - no allowable substitute” which tells the pharmacist they are not allowed to order anything except that exact brand name.

Interestingly, the Novarel brand 5000IU is the screenshot I sent you. The brand you showed me is 10000IU for 2 months and is only 153$ without a coupon. So even for the 10000IU 2 months, it’s less than 1 single month of the Novarel. I told her I have a coupon for 118$ and she said most of the time those coupons work. Sometimes they don’t, but most of the time they do and to come in and try it.

I am going to call my doctor and ask them to do this. I don’t think I am interested in changing 2+ years of feeling really good for what could now be 60-75$ a month, exactly where I need to be financially.

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I’ve never had an issue getting generic HCG, so not familiar with the different brands, but if you can get it sorted that’s great. Hope it works the same for uou

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I actually do not know. I can’t keep them straight anymore. I’ll check with the staff on Monday.

Sorry for unrelated input, but how did you prepare the dosages of your hcg? Im planning to take 250iu for 6 months every 3 days.
But i have 1500iu powder vials and 1ml sodium chloride. I don’t understand how can i dose 250iu, with insuline needles or something?
Also how did you store your hcg? Shouldn’t we use all of it right after mixing it with bc water or smth?

I hope you get better.

Use bac water. Store it in the fridge. Draw and pin with an insulin syringe and needle, the smaller the better. Water flows through a 31g very easily, and those are completely painless.

You’re not going to be able to accurately dose 250 if you’re splitting up 1500iu with 1ml of water. You’ll need .16667ml every time. So either just go to .17 or change the amount you’re mixing it with. Mix in .6ml of water and then each unit on the syringe barrel will be 25iu. Take .10ml each time and you’ll have 250iu per dose.

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If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. HCG is great for some, problematic for others. It creates some sides for me and I have been off and on for years. I am on low dose right now. What works and makes it so effective for you may not make sense or work for me. It has been Hard to understand why. I take it solely for atrophy pain and lack of sensitivity and try to mitigate the sides.

Just an FYI Empower Pharmacy is still compounding it, I got my order this past week. My Doc uses them and they are telling him that they are remaining a provider of HCG. They accept scripts and will fill for you cheaper than these prices.

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Estrogen.

See if your doc will use Empower for HCG. I pay $46 for 6000 IU’s through Defy/Empower. Hell, Defy might would prescribe it for you but you’d probably have to do their initial consult to get in and get the prescription written, so it may or may not be worth it. Empower has it though at very good prices.

Ive solved my HCG issues by cycling it. 3 months on and 3 months off. Saves money and saves me from having sides. It takes me 2 weeks to feel 100 percent. Its probably not for everyone but I enjoy my time on 40 units of HCG along with a 160mg/wk T dose. When I come off HCG, I bump up to 220mg/wk and enjoy that for a change. Its always gonna be an experiment.

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I have sent Empower an email asking for a quote with my current script. Awaiting that answer.

When you speak about “sides”, are you referencing your atrophy pain and lack of sensitivity and you’re trying to mitigate those sides? Or are you saying, you are trying to balance everything and mitigate your “sides” as in “HCG Causes me Side Effects”?

I am trying to get a grasp on what “sides” people feel they have on it. It seems like no one can “nail that down”. Just a general “I don’t quite feel right on it”.

Thanks

Yea that does make sense about the estrogen no doubt. I sent them my script this morning for a quote on the pricing and shipping etc.

My doctor is great in terms of they will use anyone I ask them too. They are no longer pharmacy specific since the government intervened. They lost their benefit so now I am allowed to use anyone I want.

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That’s an interesting cycle. I do notice that you’re taking 160MG a week along side of your HCG. Then you bump up to 220MG a week.

I always forget how small of a dose I take. I should be very clear that when I started TRT I was a walking brain dead feeling like a 100 year old man on this deathbed. After 8-12 months of dialing it in, I felt good for several years. When I think about this though, my true self maybe 5 years ago had extreme passion for life, strong growth desire, ambition, desire to achieve. The last few years I have felt “balanced”. I hope I am using a good word for that. I don’t feel like superman, I don’t feel like a dead walking zombie, I feel “balanced”. However, I do not have “drive” anymore. I just feel like I am “settled and comfortable”.

I wonder if I was never yet optimized and just got complacent where I was once I got through the suicidal feelings. I got scared to change my protocol because I felt average/balanced. I used to only take 80mg a week of testosterone and now I am taking about 110mg a week. I have never tried more before however, I think/assume perhaps the HCG was giving me more from the natural production. I try really hard to ignore numbers (stopped using those years ago) to determine my protocol and just rely on feeling. I just wonder if I bumped up my testosterone how I would feel and what a good/decent bump would look like for me.

My calculations tell me I am at about 112mg a week:

.15mg x 15 = 2.25 (this represents 15 days in a month since I take .15 every other day)
2.25 / 4 = .5625 (this represents 4 weeks in a month to get an average per week)
.5625 x 2 = 1.125 (this represents the fact that I take 200mg/ml cypionate so double value)

From that math, it looks like I take about 112-113mg a week. Do you agree?

What’s a good bump up to try out? perhaps 150-200?

I plan to also get my doctor involved as they are super awesome and never give me shit for trying things as long as I am honest and tell them what/why I am doing it and get my blood tests and donations they request.

Thanks!

You’re making this wayyyy too complicated. Convert it to an average per day then x 7 to get weekly.

0.15ml every other day → 0.15ml x 200mg/ml = 30mg. So, 30mg, every other day.

How much is that per day, on average? 30mg/2 = 15mg/day.

How many days are in a week? 7. So, 15mg/day x 7 days/week = 105mg/week.

The pros of taking HCG for me…no atrophy and great sensitivity and load volume during intercourse.

Cons- horrible bacne, edema and water retention, higher BP, and palpitations.

I have tried as low as 400iu’s a week up to 1000iu’s a week.

Jesus christ. Why the hell did I not just think of that lol. I told you I am not feeling good right now lol! All I had to do is take my 2 day dose and divide in half to get that daily lol. I really still feel like that small amount might be a little less than what I need to be optimal. I am tempted to raise it to see if I get more mental focus and get my “lust for life and ambition” back. Worst case, I drop back down to what’s worked for years and hit the HCG. I might even stack the HCG on top of the cypionate increase.

Thanks!

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It’s $102 for 5000IU and $180 for 10,000.

See now that’s something I can relate too. I have never had acne in all my life. Yet, I have had it ever since I started TRT and I have been on HCG since day 1. My limited understanding is that Estrogen can play a role in the acne and HCG tends to increase Estrogen beyond the typical levels you would have if say just on Testosterone. So that could account for my acne.

So far, although it’s only been 1 month, I have no ball aches or throbbing. Interesting about the high BP though as every time I go to my doc they tell me it’s higher than it should be and ask me about “stress”. I don’t feel anymore “stressed” than before I walk into the office (I really get along good with my Dr.'s office. Bunch of flirty girls throwing out hugs and niceties). Makes me really wonder what it will look like when I do bloods without HCG and a blood pressure measurement.

I do also know for a fact, that I stay “bloated” looking and soft and have always since starting TRT. I can’t honestly say if I would look like that if I stuck to a strict diet and got my shit together. I am 5’7 180lbs so not super over weight or mega obese, but I am definitely over weight and not what I consider in shape. I consider myself “skinny fat” guy. My 2021 goal is to do something about that. I was in great shape before about 5 years ago until I lost all my energy, stopped being able to repair and was just in pain and fatigue every day. Working out was literally killing me and I didn’t know why so I gave it up. My shoulder hurts all the time now and I have kind of just put it on the back burner. I probably made it worse by letting myself get so dam out of shape and fat.

Thanks Highpull, I really appreciate it buddy. Looks like there’s way better deals to be had than what I am getting. I am silly for not checking earlier. You boys rock!